When mother-to-be Emily Mueller was setting up her maternity shoot, she came up with the perfect theme that was sure to start a buzz on social media. Enlisting the help of photographer Kendrah Damis, the Ohio beekeeper decided to celebrate the upcoming birth of her fourth child by covering her pregnant stomach in hundreds of live bees.

Many commenters were confused or thrown off by the images, with some showing concern for the safety of Mueller and her unborn baby. Others, though, saw the beauty Mueller and Damis were trying to capture in the maternity shoot and were pleasantly surprised to see such a unique set of photos.

Facebook/ Kendrah Damis Photography

While some photographers may not have agreed to do a shoot with live insects, Damis wasn’t deterred by Mueller’s request. “I am very laid back,” Damis told Cosmopolitan.com. “I just said, ‘Okay.’ After I thought about it a little, I told her there would be backlash, but I could handle it. Knowing she is an experienced beekeeper, I knew she knew what she was doing.” And, the photos prove that it is possible to look great even if you are covered in a swarm of six-legged creatures.

Courtesy of Kendrah Damis Photography

“It is difficult to pose someone who is covered in bees!” Damis admitted. “I basically just told her some ways to put her head because her hands were stuck where they were at first. Once she freed her left hand, she had a little fun with it." As difficult as it may have been to complete the shoot, Mueller seems more than happy with her photos and even shared one to her personal Facebook page.

Courtesy of Kendrah Damis Photography

“I love the one of her reaching for the beehive the most,” Damis said of the photos. “It is so symbolic to her and her journey as a mother!”